C-clamp with right-angularly related clamping screws



Sept. 16, 1952 J. E. RO IVIINE 2,610,661

C-CLAMP WITH RIGHT-ANGULARLY RELATED CLAMPING SCREWS Filed Feb. 6, 1947ha. I. ha: 2.

27 g 27 c 25 /I l 0 INVENTOR. JA MES POM/NE.

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Patented Sept. 16, 1952 I C-CLAMP WITHRIGHT-ANGULARLY 1 RELATED CLAMPINGsoaaw s I I J ames Earl Rominc, Mishawaka, Ind. Application February 6,1947, Serial (726,926

This invention relatesjto improvements in clamps. 4

ZClaims. (01. 144-304) J The primary object of the invention is to provide a C-clamp which is adapted .for use to clamp pieces of differentshapes and to clamp together work-pieces which are so shaped andconstructed that conventional c-clamps cannot be used thereon. j

A further object is to provide a clamp with adjustably positionablemeans for gripping opposite accessible surfaces of a work-piece ad-Jacent to another and angularly disposed surface thereof to whichanother object is to be clamped, said clamp including means for pressingand holding said object against said last named surface.

A further object is to provide a clamp with an adjustable extensionmounting an adjustable presser element for engaging a portion of awork-piece which is spaced from the portion of the work-piece which isgripped by the clamp. A further object is to providea clamp having two,work-engaging elements, one of which is pivotally mounted and has twooperative positions, wherein said pivoted element has two angularlydisposed work-engaging surfaces each selectively disposed in clampingposition.

A further object is to provide a device of this character with a pivotedwork-engaging head having a fiat work-engaging face, and a secondwork-engaging face forming a V-socket whose median plane is parallel tosaid first face, wherein the pivot axis of said head is positionedsubstantially centrally relative to both of said faces.

A further object is. to provide a clamp with a work-engaging headpivotally mounted upon a support, said head having a slot receiving saidsupport and spannedby a pivot pin, said support having a pin-receivingaperture of larger diameter than said pin and adapted for end engagementwith a wall of said slot while said pin is freely positioned in saidaperture.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification. v I

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating one embodiment of the clamp in sideelevation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of a modified embodiment of the clamp.Fig. 3 is a' detail sectional view of one of the work-engaging heads ofthe clamp.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the head in a differentposition.

Fig. 5 is a face view of an arm used clamp of the constructionshown inFig. 2. I

Fig. 6 is a perspective vicw illus'trating the in the manner in whichthe clamp shown in Fig. 2 is used.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the nu-= meral I0 designates the frame of the clamp; I

This frame is formed of metal and is preferably of substantially C-shapeas shown. The inner and outer margins of the clamp are preferablyprovided with reinforcing flanges H, and the ends of the clampsterminate in enlarged cylin drical coaxial portions 12. The centralportion of the frame is preferably provided with an integral enlargementl3 whose outer end projects beyond the outline of the frame to provide afiatabutment surface H for purposes to be herein-L after set forth. e

The ends i2 of the frame are provided withaxially aligned screw-threadedbores.- In one of these bores is threaded a screw l5 having awork-engaging head It at its inner end and an enlarged head I! at itsouter end. The head I1 is transversely apertured to receive pin l8;constituting a lever facilitating the rotation ofthe screw I5 for thepurpose of tightening the clamp. A screw I9 is threaded in the oppositehead. The screw l9 has a flattened shank por tion 20 adjacent one endthereof which terminates in an enlarged head 2| which is providedwith acentral aperture 22.

A work-engaging head 23 is mounted onthe inner end of the screw l9. Thishead comprises a solid metal body provided with-a slot 24 cen trallythereof and adapted to fit snugly butshiftably around the shank 20 andhead 2| of the screw I91 A pin 25 of a diameter smaller than thediameter of the bore 22 spans the slot 24 and extends through the bore22. The slot '24 is preferably of V-shape whereby the head.

23 is permitted to rotate through an angle of slightly more thandegrees, that is, between the positions illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.The diameter of the head 2| of the screw is so correlated with theposition of the pin 25 and the size of the slot 24 that the head maybear against:

the wall of the slot perpendicular thereto, as v 3 The head is so shapedthat the pin 25 is located within the median plane of the V-shaped face29 and substantially centrally with respect to the flat face 28.

By this construction it is possible for the C- clamp to be used in theconventional manner to grip a work-piece 30, as illustrated in Fig. 1,when the work-piece is positioned between the heads [8 and 23 with theface 28 of the head 23 positioned for engagement with the workpiece.Alternatively, the work-pieee may be used to grip a member having acurved surface, as illustrated diagrammatically at 3| in Fig. 4,

by positioning the V-shaped face 29- for engagement with that surface3|. Therefore, it will be apparent that the clamp permits the grippingof objects of different shapes and types which previous constructions ofC-elamps having conventional heads of the type shown generally at IS inFig. 1 cannot effectively grip in a stable and reliable manner.

The enlargement I3 of the frame is provided with a centralscrew-threaded bore whose axis is preferably perpendicular to the axesof the screws l5 and I9 and which lies in substantially the same planeas the axes of said screws. A screw 32 is threaded in said bore, saidscrew preferably being provided with an enlarged knurled head 33 orother means by which screw 32 may be tightened. The screw 32 providesmeans to apply pressure to a work-piece in a direction perpendicular tothe direction in which pressure is applied thereto by the screws and 19.Such a'iconstruction has a' number of advantages and uses, one of whichis illustrated in Fig; 1 and entails the application by the screw 32 ofpressure upon a member 34 bearing against an edge of a work-piece 35.There are many instances Where it is desired to press against an edge ofa work-piece, such as the member 30, which is of large size, forexample, a table top or the like, a member such as the member 34. Thishas not been possible by the use of conventional C-clamps heretofore,and special clamping frames have been required for such surfaces, suchclamping frames being in the nature of special clamping jigs designedfor the work. By the instant construction, however, it will be apparentthat, the same function canbe achieved inasmuch as the screws l5 andfaces of the work-piece 30 adjacent the edge against which thework-piece 34 is to be pressed to effect a firm anchorage for the clamp,whereupon the screw 32 may be tightened to apply pressure to the member34. It is essential for this purpose, however, that both of theworkengaging heads l6 and 23 be mounted adjustably upon the frame inorder that the work-piece 30 may be positioned properly for applicationof pressure by the screw ,32 at the selected position. Thus theprovision of the two screws l5 and It enables the clamp to meet-any of alarge variety of conditions and avoids the necessity of special clampsfor special conditions. In other words, the idea of applying pressure atthree points would be impractical where one of those points constituteda fixed abutment or anvil as has been customary in previous clamps,since if the narrow work-piece wouldbe engaged by such a threepointclamp, the position of the screw 32 might be such that, when the narrowwork-piece was clamped, the screw-32 would extend clear of that narrowwork-piece and hence not be usable. No such condition can exist in theinstant construction inasmuch as the screws I5 and I 9 can be I 9 mayclamp against opposite 4 so adjusted that the work-piece will be held inany selected position to permit the application of pressure thereto bythe screw 32 at the exact point desired.

The modified form of the clamp, which is illustrated in Fig. 2, entailsthe use of a rigid arm in conjunction with a clamp of the typeillustrated in Fig. 1. The arm 40 is preferably provided with anelongated longitudinal slot 41 at one end thereof which is adapted tofit freely around the screw 32. A nut 42 is threaded onto screw 32 andmay be used to clamp the arm 40 flat against the abutment surface [4 ofthe clamp frame to hold the arm in any selected adjustment relative tothe clamp frame. The adjustment'made-possible by this construction isboth rotative and longitudinal. If desired a lock washer 43 may beinterposed between the nut 42 and the arm to facilitate the clampingaction. The free or outer end of the arm has a screwthreaded aperture 44therethrough in which is mounted a screw 45 having a work-engaging head45 at one end and an enlarged knurled head or other operating member 41at its opposite end.

The clamp construction shown in Fig. 2 is intended primarily for uses ofthe type illustrated in Fig. 6 where clamping pressure is to be appliedin a direction perpendicular to and at a position spaced laterally fromthe point on the work-piece at which the clamp itself is anchored. Thusin Fig. 6, it is desired to clamp the member to the face of the member5! which is of such width or dimension that a conventional- C-clamp'cannot span the same, and which is provided with ends, such as thetapered reinforcing flange 52, which prevent the clamp from being usedin the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The work-piece in this instance isillustrated as being provided with a part 53 having abutment surfaces sospaced and parallel that a c-clamp can be anchored thereto. In such aninstance the frame ll] of the C-clamp is positioned for clampingengagement of the work-engaging heads I G and 23 of the screws 15 and H!at opposite surfaces thereof, and the arm 40 is so adjusted rotativelyandlongitudinally that the screw 45 is positioned in desired. manner forengagement with the selected pressure point of the member 50. The arm 40is locked in this position by tightening the nut 42 and the screw 45 isthen advanced to apply pressure against the member 50 for the purpose ofholding it inface engagementwith the member 5|. While it will beapparent that the amount of'pressure which can be applied to the member50 is somewhat limited because of the offset relation of the pressurepoint, of the screw 45 with respect to the pressurepoints of the alignedscrews I5 and [9 of the clamp, it, nevertheless, is possible by thisconstruction to apply an amount of pressure adequate for many purposes,for instance, adequate to assure proper engagement of parts which are tobe glued together.

It will be apparent, therefore, from the foregoing that the instantclamp provides means by which a wide variety of work-pieces of differentshapes and constructions may be engaged and gripped. Hence it will beobserved that it is possible to use the clamp to fit around or behind amarginal flange upon an object to be clamped, which arrangement is madepossible by the fact that both the screws Hand is are adjustable uponthe frame so that both of the heads l6 and 23 can be positioned inwardlybehind a flange on the edge ofa work-piece 30. In this instance,.of

course, the screw 32 will be moved or retracted unless it is desired toapply a work-piece 34 to the work-piece 30 in the manner illustrated inFig. 1.

Another advantage of the device is that the pivotal mounting of the head23 accommodates the gripping of objects at opposed faces which taper onerelative to the other. In actual practice it has been found that a firmgrip may be obtained upon a member whose opposite faces are inclinedrelative to each other by as much as 15 degrees. Hence the clamp has awide field of use and can be used for many purposes for which it hasheretofore been necessary to build special clamping equipment. It willalso be apparent that the clamp may be used upon work-pieces of a widevariety of uses, thus further increasing its usefulness.

I claim:

1. A clamp comprising a rigid C-shaped frame, work-engaging memberscarried by the end portions of said frame and adapted to grip aworkpiece therebetween, a screw-threaded member extending through anintermediate portion of said frame whose axis extends perpendicular toand in substantially the same plane as said workengaging members, saidscrew-threaded member having a work engaging end Within said C-shapedframe, a rigid arm having a longitudinal slot at one end thereof fittingaround said screwthreaded member, a member threaded on saidscrew-threaded member for clamping said arm to said frame in selectedrotative and longitudinal adjustment, and a pressure applying memberthreaded in the free end of said arm and substantially parallel to saidscrew-threaded member, said last named member having a work 1 portion,and a pressure applying member adjustably mounted at the outer end ofsaid arm and substantially parallel to said intermediate member, saidlast named member having a work engaging end adapted to engage a workpiece gripped by said work engaging members.

JAMES EARL ROMINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 242,959 Naglee June 14, 1881378,585 Gibson Feb. 28, 1888 1,160,103 Burkhart Nov. 9, 1915 7 1,345,177Heckathorn June 29, 1920 1,403,580 Vinema Jan. 17, 1922 1,490,063 TowerApr. 8, 1924 2,366,350 Ostling Jan. 2, 1945 2,450,994 Schaefer Oct. 12,1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,700 Great Britain May 18,1886 136,209 Germany Nov. 17, 1902

